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Green beans don’t always have to be bright and squeaky, they are more than happy to be given a little extra time and heat. There are plenty of recipes from the Mediterranean that deal with a green bean glut in this way. What you lose in colour and bite, you make up for with a melt-in the-mouth tenderness. Farinata (also known as socca) is a dense chickpea pancake, often baked in shallow trays in wood-fired ovens. It is perfect to drag through and mop up rich sauces.

Method

Start by tipping 330ml of warm water into a bowl. Add the chickpea flour and just shy of 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk well to beat out any lumps. Leave to sit while you make the sauce.

Slice the beans at an angle into about 3-4 pieces each. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in the saucepan and add the onion. Cook gently for 8 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and the beans and continue to cook gently for a further 3 minutes. Tip in the passata, tomato purée, and vinegar. Top the pan up with a little water so that the beans are just covered. Cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the olives to the beans and season with a little salt and pepper. Gently simmer away for a further 20 minutes, until everything is tender.

Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon (15ml) of olive oil into the chickpea batter along with some ground black pepper.

5 minutes before the sauce is ready, turn your grill to medium-high and heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the farinata batter, tipping it to coat the pan. Evenly scatter over the rosemary and fry for approx. 4 minutes, on a medium-high heat, until the bottom is golden brown.

Transfer the farinata pan to your grill and cook until the top is golden brown, and the edges are nice and crispy (approx. 3-4 minutes). Check that the centre is set.

Tear the basil leaves into the beans at the last minute and serve the sauce, piled into 2 bowls. Sprinkle over the cheese and divide the farinata equally, using it to scoop and eat the sauce.